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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is Agatha Christie's first published novel, written during WWI (though released only a couple of years after the war), and her first story featuring Hercule Poirot. I think it's also the first case that him and Hastings solve together. Even though the story is full of twists and turns, I think it's among those cases in which the reader could have collected a good deal of clues herself (if she bothered enough), if not necessarily solve it entirely. That's always a plus.
The story is set during WWI. A wealthy middle-aged woman, Emily Inglethorp, is killed in her room, presumably by poison. There are also her (second) husband (Alfred Inglethorp) and her two sons (John and Lawrence Cavendish, both sons of Mrs. Inglethorp's first husband), the wife of one of the sons (Mary Cavendish). Mary seems to have an affair with a Dr. Bauerstein (supposedly an export for all kinds of poisons). Cynthia Murdoch lives with the family, since she was abandoned by her husband; she is working in a hospital and, in this function, she has access to all kinds of poison. Finally, there is Evelyn Howard, who is... what is she? Well, she makes clear at every possible moment that she hates Mr. Inglethorp with all her heart (almost to a manic degree, as Hastings observes at one point). Oh, and there is also a maid.
For most of the plot, most characters are damn sure that Mr. Inglethorp must be the murderer. There is every indication that it must have been him: He would inherit Mrs. Inglethorp's money, a witness claims that he bought poison in a local pharmacy, he disappeared for a while... well, it doesn't look good for him. The only one not being convinced (well, not being convinced that he will be convicted, to be precise) is Hercule Poirot, obviously. After a while his innocence seems to be proven, and one of the sons takes his place in the spotlight. Now his guilt seems to be obvious to everyone... except Poirot.
In the end, Poirot finds the last piece of evidence (the missing link, "das felende Glied in der Kette"), and with it his is able to proof - Mr. Inglethorp guilt. Actually, of course Poirot knew that all along (or so he claims). He only put John Cavendish in the dock as part of his plan to bring husband and wife closer together again (and this really works out). To be honest, I'm sure there are like a million crime stories in which the obvious culprit is the real culprit in the end, but I certainly loved how it played out here.
Another think that I really loved about this book were its many details. There is really an abundance of clues and indicators. There are (I think) three different sources of strychnine poison, details in the room of the murder (a strange piece of green fabric; candle wax; an overturned table; cups of coffee and hot chocolate, including a broken cup and a disappeared cup), inheritance issues and different testaments, love affairs, a feud in the family, a disguise, different letters, different versions of the same contentions (and different contentions), secret messages (hidden away), and I'm sure this is not even everything. And all of this is pretty neatly accounted for by the end of the book. You can only admire this degree of crime craftsmanship.
Rating: 3.5/5
The story is set during WWI. A wealthy middle-aged woman, Emily Inglethorp, is killed in her room, presumably by poison. There are also her (second) husband (Alfred Inglethorp) and her two sons (John and Lawrence Cavendish, both sons of Mrs. Inglethorp's first husband), the wife of one of the sons (Mary Cavendish). Mary seems to have an affair with a Dr. Bauerstein (supposedly an export for all kinds of poisons). Cynthia Murdoch lives with the family, since she was abandoned by her husband; she is working in a hospital and, in this function, she has access to all kinds of poison. Finally, there is Evelyn Howard, who is... what is she? Well, she makes clear at every possible moment that she hates Mr. Inglethorp with all her heart (almost to a manic degree, as Hastings observes at one point). Oh, and there is also a maid.
For most of the plot, most characters are damn sure that Mr. Inglethorp must be the murderer. There is every indication that it must have been him: He would inherit Mrs. Inglethorp's money, a witness claims that he bought poison in a local pharmacy, he disappeared for a while... well, it doesn't look good for him. The only one not being convinced (well, not being convinced that he will be convicted, to be precise) is Hercule Poirot, obviously. After a while his innocence seems to be proven, and one of the sons takes his place in the spotlight. Now his guilt seems to be obvious to everyone... except Poirot.
In the end, Poirot finds the last piece of evidence (the missing link, "das felende Glied in der Kette"), and with it his is able to proof - Mr. Inglethorp guilt. Actually, of course Poirot knew that all along (or so he claims). He only put John Cavendish in the dock as part of his plan to bring husband and wife closer together again (and this really works out). To be honest, I'm sure there are like a million crime stories in which the obvious culprit is the real culprit in the end, but I certainly loved how it played out here.
Another think that I really loved about this book were its many details. There is really an abundance of clues and indicators. There are (I think) three different sources of strychnine poison, details in the room of the murder (a strange piece of green fabric; candle wax; an overturned table; cups of coffee and hot chocolate, including a broken cup and a disappeared cup), inheritance issues and different testaments, love affairs, a feud in the family, a disguise, different letters, different versions of the same contentions (and different contentions), secret messages (hidden away), and I'm sure this is not even everything. And all of this is pretty neatly accounted for by the end of the book. You can only admire this degree of crime craftsmanship.
Rating: 3.5/5
3.5 stars. I did think the ending was a bit too much all over the place, compared to many other books of hers, that had much finer done and explained twists. However, as this is technically the first book, it's extremely well done. A lot of well done red herrings, and Poirots signature calmness and assuredness is always a wonderful contrast to Hastings blunt way of seeing and explaining things.
Agatha Christie really is the queen of the classic whodunnit closed room stories and The Mysterious Affair at Styles takes us back to where she began, her first novel ever published. Originally written in 1916 and published in 1920, this book introduces the ever quirky and inimitable Hercule Poirot, retired Belgian detective.
I must admit I’ve kinda gotta be in a mood to read Agatha Christie. The whodunnit style of writing is a particular genre that requires detailed attention to characters, plot and events. I have only read a few of her stories, all involving Poirot and I was keen to actually go right back to the beginning and to read this very first novel.
Truth be told it is probably the most enjoyable that I’ve read thus far, although I did find the resolution of the crime a little convoluted and took a fair amount of energy to work through all the details. Nevertheless, it is a most ingenious tale and Christie is phenomenal in her attention to detail and the way she brings the whole story together, even if Poirot does seem to draw some amazing conclusions from some very tenuous clues.
I must admit I’ve kinda gotta be in a mood to read Agatha Christie. The whodunnit style of writing is a particular genre that requires detailed attention to characters, plot and events. I have only read a few of her stories, all involving Poirot and I was keen to actually go right back to the beginning and to read this very first novel.
Truth be told it is probably the most enjoyable that I’ve read thus far, although I did find the resolution of the crime a little convoluted and took a fair amount of energy to work through all the details. Nevertheless, it is a most ingenious tale and Christie is phenomenal in her attention to detail and the way she brings the whole story together, even if Poirot does seem to draw some amazing conclusions from some very tenuous clues.
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes